Each of these next few chapters have changed a bit in the rewrite. They are in Luna's POV only and does not swap back and forth between her and Amir, so please keep that in mind.  The chapters are less than 3,500 words in the revision. Everything is unedited in this book and will not be fixed, since I've rewritten everything. Thanks for reading, Tethered Souls.

Fun fact: Esther is my middle name. It is mentioned as a character in this chapter. Lily Esther 💃

Part One

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*Luna*

It was Friday late afternoon, and the twenty-sixth of July. Two weeks had gone by and all of us were gathered around in the rec room—bodies draped over long couches and lounge chairs. A gigantic TV hung on the wall with Cami's, Colin's, Amir's, and my face splattered on the news. People were now out there searching for us, and my parents stayed behind while Amir's family flew back home. Cassie decided not to go home yet, hoping nothing bad happened to any of us. Darren and Sue were still here. And the reverend came by to help us come up with a plan to escape out of the state.

As it turned out, Sue and Colin were tethered together. One minute she was helping me in the yard as we were planting flowers, and the next, she was with him on the roof as he and the guys were hanging around on the helicopter pad. She somehow projected herself to his soul, and he saw me in the garden standing beside her. She said it was a strange feeling and now understood what each of us goes through on our transition. Funny thing was... their birthday is on the second of August, so their powers activated beforehand, which has all of us questioning our gene. Powers come after a birthday passes and not before.

Shortly before Adnan went home with his parents, he took another test, and this result showed "positive." He is tethered and will most likely be contacted around his birthday in March next year. He had a lot of support throughout all of this, and he understood that now. 

As the group was discussing what to do next and how to leave the States undetected, Amir patted my leg and rubbed my knee gently. Then he moved over and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. "I love you, Moon." 

"I love you, Prince." I loved it when we used each other's nicknames.

We were all dressed up and looking fancy this evening. I had on a long black dress with black high heels, and Amir wore a fancy white blazer and a hunter green dress shirt under it. I guess it was because in some ways each of us knew that our last moment together was near; probably tonight.

Cami placed a platter of finger food sandwiches and fruit on the coffee table and glanced over to where Faisal sat with Colin and Darren. Then she took two small sandwiches and retreated to a burgundy recliner. While picking up a strawberry, she stared at Faisal as he gestured with his hands of the story he was engaged into. I could tell she was having thoughts about them being together outside of here. And he even told Amir and Raul that he was thinking about sending her a proposal. He was falling in love with her, and both Amir and I were thrilled about that. 

On the other side of me, Liberty leaned forward and grabbed two pieces of fruit and celery, then passed it to Sarah. She was sitting in between her aunt and uncle as they discussed about living in India, where Ahmed's family was. He and my sister will come to our place to see us once we settled down somewhere. Probably in Islamabad, or Quetta, with Mera and Raul. We could choose Nigeria with Cami and Faisal, but Amir knew several people who could keep us hidden and safe. 

I glanced over at Sue who was sitting next to Cassie on a long chair and smiled at her. "How are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm feeling better." She picked at her bread and pulled off the soft patches of brown. "I'm exhausted, though. Darren thought it'll be good to see a nature trail earlier." 

"We've been walking out there a lot lately," Darren said from the other side of the room, his New Zealand accent thick and deep. "I think I've done my share of walking and running." 

He, or his wife, looked that much worn out, but maybe they were good at hiding it. His blue eyes went bright, especially every time he gazed at her. Ever since the house took their walk while Amir and I had alone time, that's all anybody wanted to do. It was risky. Dangerous. Any of the hunters could be out there. I barely fight my own evil feelings, and it was difficult to control. Now I understood Anakan Skywalker before he became Darth Vader. That evil darkness crept into me at the worst times, too. I didn't want to be evil.

"You should eat something," Darren told Sue. "We walked around for almost three hours this morning. I know you are hungry, darling." 

She laughed softly. "I don't know if you realize this, but Colin is eating enough for the both of us." He chuckled and glanced at Colin munching on a big hamburger. The joys of being tethered to someone.

All of us stayed in the room for a while, long after the food was gone, but I'm sure nobody wanted to talk about it—leaving tonight. So much so, Reverend McDaniels left the room, telling us he'd be back after taking an emergency phone call. 

Faisal leaned forward, dropping his elbows to his knees. "All right. Time to discuss the important stuff, shall we?" 

"My thoughts exactly," Raul murmured. "We need to leave sometime this evening. Before midnight." 

"I think that was the plan," Darren said, glancing at Sue and Colin. "But where exactly are we heading to? It's late. Another community out there, or a hotel?" 

Raul opened his mouth, but Ahmed held up his hand and walked away. "Don't say anything else."

Raul's eyes narrowed, and he gave Mera a grave look. Then he stood up, and his jaw clenched. He began walking toward where Ahmed walked off to, his hands closing into fists.

Everyone noticed their strange activity.

"What's going on?" Faisal asked. 

Weariness shook down my spine as I reached for Sarah. I glanced over at Amir, who was suddenly on alert.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling my heart beat pound rapidly. 

I saw Faisal stand up, his chest rising sharply. One second he was standing in front of the recliner and the next he flung himself quickly across the room, a hand around the pastor's neck before he finished walking into the room. "Why?" Faisal demanded. 

"Shit!" Colin yelled, jumping to his feet, moving in front of Sue and Cassie.

"How long?" Faisal questioned, his fingers tightening around the pastor's throat. 

I shielded Sarah's eyes from the scene that lay in front of her as the reverend mumbled whatever was going on. "What-what-are you talking about?" 

Amir stood swiftly and stepped around everyone to face his cousin. "What's going on?" 

Faisal ignored him, lifting the pastor's body against the wall and bringing his feet off the floor with one strong bicep. "I'm going to give you one more chance. Don't think I won't kill you. How long?" 

"I didn't know they were following me," the reverend gasped out, clutching Faisal's wrist. 

His face paled.

"Wrong answer," Faisal said, voice low as he slammed his fist into the man's chest. "You can sense them. You can always sense hunters." 

Holy shit. The reverend had lead the people we are hiding from straight toward us. He could feel their aura from miles away. That was how powerful my ability was; the ability I loathe. 

"Can someone explain to me why Faisal is harming the pastor?" Amir asked in an aggressive tone. 

Ahmed reappeared with a broken nose and purplish looking cheek. He and the reverend must have fought in the hallway, and Ahmed was confronting him. Ahmed was more powerful than any us; he could read people's thoughts and know their plans beforehand, aside from cloaking himself. 

Faisal's grip was still around the reverend's throat, but Ahmed came up and slammed his right hook into the man's stomach, making him tumble. 

Darren and Colin shot forward.

"What the hell?" Darren's voice echoed through the hall. Mera and Liberty escorted Sarah and my parents out of the room into the dining room. "Somebody better answer me right this fucking minute!" 

My body was trembling with the realization of the scene.

"The reverend was on a phone call," Ahmed said as he held up an ice pack to his jaw. "Tell them, McDaniels, tell them who you were talking to." 

There was no response from him. He just looked around the room. 

Faisal's grip tightened, and Ahmed yanked the pastor's scalp. "The asshole was on the phone with Chase. And Chase is the hunter we've been running from. He screwed us over. They're coming."

***

*Amir*

My jaw dropped as I stepped back. Chase was a Tethered Soul? And a hunter? Wait.. wait.. he was the hunter who we were all trying to stay hidden from? The same one who was after thousands of our kind and experiments on us? No way. No. He couldn't be. That means he had seen me all these months when Luna and I were together. That means he knew I was next to her anywhere she went. He saw me there on Memorial Day. And that bastard put Luna in pain, all because he could. 

That means—that means—he had known about Luna all this time? Oh God. I was about to be sick. He knew about Sarah. It all made sense now. He lured himself into Luna's life to get to Sarah after he saw her blood type in the computer. He'd been after Sarah, and he wanted to fuck with Luna in the process. He is The Hunter—the one who had power over everyone. 

"No," I murmured, glaring at the reverend who just made the last move he will ever make. "You couldn't have lead Chase and the rest of them here." 

"I'm sorry," McDaniels said as he looked at all of us gazing down at him. "They were going after my church, my family, my business, this community." 

"So turning us in was okay?" Luna said, her face pale. She clenched her hands at her sides. 

McDaniels didn't take his eyes off me. His voice trembled as he tried to plead with me. "I didn't know they were following me until I pulled up into the church parking lot. Then this group of men stepped out and told me I had no other choice since I filed yours and Luna's marriage license. They told me they knew I married you two, and they wanted to know where." 

A cold sensation ran through Luna's veins. Our connection was very magnified. "And what did you tell them?" 

McDaniels—which I will call him that instead of Reverend because he is no man of God, he is Judas—had vibrant hazel eyes that slid toward her, and it was like he was empty. I sensed his soul—there was nothing there. No feelings. No remorse. No pain from our beating we gave him. For the first time, I felt the distrust and anguish he felt toward Pure Souls. So potent and powerful, it could reach the entire room, I'm sure.

"You two are the most powerful couple we have on the planet, Aluna." He even used our couple name like he was worthy of saying it. "You have something so powerful inside your blood that will go beyond anything we've ever imagined. And you guys don't even realize it. You don't know the magnitude you two face. It's even more powerful than Sloan." 

"Who is this Sloan person?" I asked in a deep voice.

He looked at Luna and chuckled. "Her name is Sloan Sullivan, and she is from Lubbock, Texas. She is one of the most powerful Tethered Souls in history, besides you two." 

"How?" Luna spoke up. 

"Because Sloan is tethered to not one, but two, people. Yeah, she is paired for two different souls, somehow. And through that, her powers are unimaginable. That is why the facility in Sweden has her. They get her to connect to her Souls and have them spied on. However, they keep slipping away from Chase's grasp. He senses them one minute, and then they disappear." 

"Oh my God." Cami clasped her hands over her mouth in shock. 

Colin tsked softly. "I know Sloan and the people she is tethered to. They won't get them." 

"Yes, they will!" Reverend struggled free from Faisal's and Ahmed's grip. "They can't run forever. No one can. Not even this group of you." 

"What's so special about Sloan and her partners?" Luna demanded, standing in front of this "reverend". I didn't even know his first name, which I didn't even give a crap about anymore. His name is "Judas" now. 

"Because Sloan, and her two partners, are all Pure Souls. Their parents were together and married before their powers became active. And they have the Hunter Gene running through them. Though, the female who's tethered to Sloan had developed a shield inside her mind to where it can cover her and the man who's part of Sloan's connection. They are what we call—Tethered Shields." 

***

*Luna*

"Huh?" I said, completely shocked by this. 

"These lead domes around this community can hide hunters, but Sloan and her gang of connected souls don't need them. They can shield their whole cluster, and anyone in their surroundings who is a Tethered Soul. That's how she helped with the development of the community in Nigeria and with Cami's relatives. They were able to keep anyone who is part of the exception and Pure Souls inside of a dome-like structure. I don't know how they did it. But Chase will find them. He is bigger than any of you!" 

"But Chase acted like he never knew about me, or about Amir. This is confusing," I said, my voice shaky. 

"It was an act, Luna. He played you for a fool," the reverend said, shaking his head. "Actually... Chase could always sense Amir's presence, but he probably didn't see him. You can shield yourself, Luna. You have great powers, too." 

"But my powers didn't become active until last year!" I screamed.

The man laughed and stared at me, a smirk on his lips. "Honey, your gifts became active the moment Sarah was born. They just stayed dormant until you were ready to open up. And Chase—well, he pretended with you. And now he is coming here."

Faisal then surprised us by slamming a fist into the reverend's ribcage, knocking him back down. "Why would you betray our kind like this? Why would you betray us?" 

"You guys don't get it!" the reverend yelled, making me step back an inch. "If I have to sacrifice a few to save the many within this community, I will. It's not that hard. And sometimes it's for the best." 

I was completely dumbfounded. I just kept playing it over and over inside my head, wondering why he was so kind and helpful with us for the past two weeks. Why he was so quick to perform our ceremony. Then it hit me as Amir began thinking about it. Chase wasn't always after me, he was after my daughter. He knew she was a Tethered Soul since the moment he saw us in the hospital after her accident. He later put me into a hospital to run tests on me. He wanted to hurt me, to get to my partner—Amir.

There had been so much that Chase had known that I never thought he did. And the fact that he knew about Amir long before, or that he was the hunter we'd been hiding from, how could I have been so naïve? Horror rose in me as I glared at Reverend Judas. 

Amir was calling him Judas in his head, and now I call him that after adding "Reverend" to the beginning, because he was a betrayer. A coward. And Judas betrayed Jesus. The reverend betrayed us. 

Colin cocked his head to the side. "What were you offered? Everyone in the community would stay hidden and undetected if you handed over who they want? An equal exchange. A Soul for a handful of other Souls?"

I was going to be sick.

"Dr. Kim wants Cami, and Chase wants Luna and Sarah," he said, his gaze sliding over to Amir. "We built this community for a reason. I had to do something to keep this place safe. There are innocent people here." 

"Seriously?" Cami shrieked. "How would you keep anyone safe if you've led them here?" 

"They won't touch anyone else. Only Cami, Sarah, and Luna. And I'm sure Amir now, since Chase knows Luna and him are married." R-Judas stood up and held himself against the wall, looking in my direction. "Why do you think Chase said nothing, Luna? He knew you were seeing somebody before he threw you into St. Matthews, and he knew about Amir's parents being pure before you all did. He was going to find this group of you no matter what I did." 

"No." Cami stomped forward and shook her head. "He wouldn't have found-"

"Chase can find anyone," R-Judas spat. "When I saw the men at my church, I didn't have much of an option. If I told them about where you guys were hiding, then they'd leave this area alone." 

"You can't be that stupid," Amir spat, the edges of his body blurring as he lunged forward. "You turned over my wife and my daughter and my family? How are you a man of the cloth?" Venom dripped from Amir's mouth as he stared violently at R-Judas. 

R-Judas shook his head. "Sacrificing something for the sake of others is what I was always taught. So, I'm sorry if this perfect bubble you all had is about to burst." He spun around and stared at Mera and Raul. "Even you two. I had no choice."

"You did, Judas," Mera murmured, shedding some light on his name. His name really was Judas? It fit him. "This was my family's home," she said, strolling toward him. "We helped you and your family when you needed us. And your daughter was like one of my own, especially after she and my son started seeing one another. He was ready to send her a proposal." 

All eyes stared at Raul as he seethed through his teeth and felt the same anger each of us did. "Was Esther a decoy? Did you set that relationship up, just so you can keep an eye on us?" 

"No." Judas straighten himself and fixed his tie. Then he added something more shocking to the story. "Esther wanted to do that all on her own. Chase found her alone in downtown New Orleans and offered her something that she couldn't refuse." 

"Okay... And?" 

"To keep our family safe and away from any hospital on the planet. She had to be a distraction for you, considering how close you were getting around Luna. He felt threaten, maybe a little, by you." 

"So she went along with a relationship and used me, just so he can make sure Luna and I weren't getting close?" Raul's voice broke halfway through. Wow, his girlfriend of eight months had been playing him all along. He was almost ready to marry her.

Judas, the Second, nodded his head. "I'm sorry to confirm, but she really didn't like you at first. And we had to do whatever we could to stay hidden." 

Raul looked heartbroken, as if he'd been sucker punched, and then he pulled out a pistol from his back pocket, aiming at Judas, the Second's, head. All of us got out of the way as Amir took my hand into his, and we stepped aside. I glanced at the kitchen and didn't see anyone in there. Judas stared at Raul and pleaded with him through his tearful eyes. 

"If it makes any difference, Esther loves you now." Judas pressed his hands together and looked up toward the ceiling. "I didn't want any of this to happen. I didn't intend for it to go this way. They just want a small portion of you. I had to do somethi-" 

Raul reacted quickly and shot Judas, the Betrayer, in the foot, then once again in the shoulder, making the man fall back. He was still alive, but the blood from his body started pouring out of its wounds. I crouched down, holding myself together, tuning everything out. I wanted to find out where my family was and what was going on with them. 

I think the man died. I couldn't feel his aura flowing anymore. 

I knew it was Cassie who screamed in the back of the room.

I knew it was Amir who pulled me up with his hand on my arm and dragged me across the room.

I knew it was Colin's voice that rose from the chaos, joining Ahmed's in issuing orders. 

And I knew we needed to pack our stuff and flee from paradise. Fast.

But I never expected the actions that this kind reverend did. I didn't think he'd do anything like this. Or that Raul would shoot him like he was target practice. 

"We need to move, Luna." Amir's deep voice sounded gently near my ear. We were now passing the kitchen. "I want you to-"

"I'm fine," I said, watching Darren pull his thunderstruck wife into the hallway. "We have to go. Now."

"That we do," Colin said, reaching behind him, handing me a gun. 

"Where are we going?" Amir asked, his grip on my wrist tightening. "We don't even have a plan. We'll just rush out there and look insane?" 

"That's the best plan we've got at the moment," Faisal said, entering from the archway. "Unless we all want to become lab experiments for the rest of our existence." 

"No." Ahmed kept a careful eye on the ladies as they stood huddled in a corner while we sorted this shit out. He sure was sprouting some major rage within his soul. My lead ring shields nothing. I hate being this Hunter. "We'll head out toward Texas. I know a place outside of Dallas those assholes won't find. But we need to regroup and flee this state. Now!"

Amir glanced at his cousin. "Sound good? We can always try to leave the country after." When Faisal nodded, Amir let go of me and hugged him in a brotherly hug. Then he said, "I love you, you know. You're my family." 

I glanced over at Liberty, holding Sarah next to our parents in the corner. My father cuddled my mother close, shielding her eyes to the scene in the room before them. 

Faisal stepped back and placed a hand over Amir's. "Family. All of you are my family." 

"All right, now that bonding time is over, anyone who jumps into one of those cars out front is in for a long haul," Colin said, shaking a set of keys in our direction. I have my daughter's things that I wanted to grab, but I also had our stuff too. The only thing that was important was getting out of here freely. "If any of you don't think you'll be able to handle a war, then I suggest you stay here. It's about to get ugly and messy, and honestly, we don't need any light-weights. You need to be one hundred percent sure that you'll risk your lives for whoever is in the vehicles. I promise you, I'm not joking." He flashed Amir and I a charming smile. "I think some of us are used to this, so it's up to everyone in this house who wants to run, keep up. Don't drag us behind. They are not playing around out there. Got it?" 

Amir glanced around the room. "It will get bad. I can vouch for his claim. We've survived an escape already together." 

"I've been in since the beginning," said Faisal. "Might as well make sure my family makes it out of this." 

"To be clear," Colin announced. "They are after Luna, Cami, Sarah, Amir, and me. They do not know about anyone else. Come to think of it, they don't even know about me, but I helped everyone escape." He chuckled with that last part. 

Everyone gazed at Cassie. 

"What?" Cassie said, tucking long strands of hair behind her ear. "Look, if I didn't care to take part in this craziness, I would've went home when the Khans did. I'm still in." 

She and Faisal hugged it out, and Cami curled an arm around his waist. We each changed into different clothing and got our stuff together. 

As we hurried out the door when no one objected to the charade we were facing, Amir held my hand until we reached the car. "I'll be back. I have to go upstairs for a moment." 

Colin whipped his neck around and looked at him. "Whatever it is, just leave it behind. This will slow us down." 

"Amir..." My limbs shook. I assumed everyone had their fake identities on them, but we didn't. And we needed ours, just in case. 

"Crap." Amir tuned into my mind and read what I was thinking. "Go with them. I'll be quick."

Nodding, I darted around and joined my family as they all rushed toward the selection of cars we had. Ahmed turned my way and chuckled. "Really? Those papers aren't that important. We're able to make more later." 

"I know..." But we needed them in case we didn't reach Dallas in time. We never knew what may happen. I gazed around and saw Darren buckling Sue in backseat of a black SUV. Mera and Raul climbed in after them.

"You should go with them. Keep them safe," I told Ahmed as he was handing a gun to the men. Good thing Sarah was cuddled in my mother's arms. "We're going in the Hummer." 

Ahmed nodded and didn't hesitate to intercept my father from getting behind the wheel. "Trust me. You want me driving, especially through the areas we are traveling." He knew the route we needed to take.

Dad nodded with his chin and sat in the front with my mother and Liberty. They placed a seatbelt over Sarah in the backseat and made sure it was secure. I smiled at them, feeling grateful they were taking care of her. I walked over to the SUV and hugged her close. It was unspoken, but I know why Sarah will be in their vehicle. She will be safer away from me and around Ahmed, because I learned something about him since our escape from St. Matthew's. 

He was a Tethered Shield, and could shield her aura from any hunters who spotted us. Even I could feel him. He could shield, cloak, and read minds. Being a tethered soul wasn't always that bad.

Everyone who was going with Ahmed piled into that car, and a second later, Amir appeared behind me. "We're all set. They're in my pocket." 

"Thanks." 

We climbed into the Hummer, with Colin behind the wheel and Faisal up front with Cami. Faisal twisted around as we slammed the doors shut. "Sorry about what you had to see back there," he said to me. "I know you two trusted him, and we thought we could too, but people should think twice before messing the Khans. Nobody messes with our family." 

"Or me," Colin muttered under his breath. 

I nodded as I settled back in the seat. Amir glanced at me and lifted his arm for me to curl onto his side. "I'm sorry," I whispered to him. "I wanted a joint wedding and trusted that man." 

"Shh," he murmured. "That wasn't your fault. Even Raul and Mera thought differently about him." 

But that didn't make me feel any better. I had that man over for meals and sermons for anyone who wanted to have a small church gathering. There were so many red signs I never thought of when I should've been paying attention. He was on his phone a lot, and he kept sitting around Amir and me the most of the past two weeks since our wedding. Things really hit me once Colin peeled out of the driveway and passed Reverend Judas' house. So many things started making me feel panicked, and I just prayed to Allah to get us out of here safely. 

When the gate wasn't opening quick enough, he slammed down on the gas pedal and plowed through it. Then he chuckled while glancing back at us. "Good thing we're in the Hummer." 

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Ah!! Part Two of their flee is up next. So shocking about the reverend and all. Right? And what about the Snake we know as Chase? He is a Tethered Soul Hunter? Haha. No one saw that secret coming. Oh... it gets even more terrifying as the storyline goes on. And an even BIGGER shocker in an upcoming chapter. Also, the information about Luna being a Tethered Shield may explain Chase's POV chapter. Chase couldn't really see Amir. Luna's ability was there, but she didn't realize she was using it. Yeah... Chase ain't going anywhere anytime soon. So sit tight!